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2013-01-12
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and the brass at the pentagon. >> is the real point here he's somebody because of that who has the credibility so that if he's the one who has to remake defense going forward, if he's to talk about cuts to systems he has that extra credibility? >> i think he does and that matters. we had great secretaries of defense that didn't serve. it's an important part as we enter this period. i think that with the real thing here, we take a step back, just look how far the republican party has moved in the last six years. you talked about a republican saying you're out of the mainstream means one thing, you're in the mainstream. because they've left. in 2006, john mccain was talking about chuck hagel as his secretary of state and now he's someone who he thinks is disqualified. from a big picture, the republicans have moved the neocons have such a hold on that party and i don't think that's mainstream thinking in america. >> do you think there is an element of political payback here? >> sure, listen, some of this is situation normal in washington, whether you're a democrat or republican, always trying to

, and former pentagon official and current foreign policy magazine columnist, rosa brooks. it is good to have you here with us. michelle, who i believe you worked with at the pentagon, tell me why i have it wrong or at least why you worry that hagel wouldn't be the right pick for this position. >> i don't know i would say ezra that hagel is the wrong pick, i just don't think he is the best pick. i think there are others around there who would have many of the upsides that hagel has, without the down sides that hagel has. if mitt romney had won and chosen him, i would have applauded him as real courage. chuck hagel has a lot going for him. he is a brave guy, a principled guy. there is a lot to like about him. he is also a republican, and the democratic party has worked really, really hard over past decades to erase the deficit, in which voters consistently said they trusted republicans more than democrats on national security. democrats have worked really hard to erase that gap, but picking chuck hagel seems to me to be sending a message i can't figure out president obama wants to send, i can'

to lead the pentagon and cia. >> these two leaders have dedicated their lives to protecting our country. i urge the senate to confirm them as soon as possible. >> both nominees face difficult questions before they are confirmed in the u.s. senate. chuck hagel seems perfect for the pentagon. a former republican senator from nebraska. some conservatives say he is not strong enough supporter of israel, even though he voted many times to send billions of dollars there. >> i will do my best for our country, for those i represent at the pentagon, and for all of our citizens. >> john brennan is a long time administration officials who spent 25 years in the cia. >> i will make my mission to ensure the cia has the tools it needs to keep our nation safe and that its work always reflects the liberties, the freedoms, and the values we hold dear. >> but he is controversial, too. he has been the public face of the legality of drone strike spread >> he understands we are a nation of laws. in moments of debates and decisions, he asks the tough questions and he insists on a rigorous standards. >> four year

, hagel at the pentagon, jack lew now at treasury? these are the big jobs, and it's sort of striking. you don't have women at the white house staff at the most senior levels. there are deputy chiefs of staff who are not even being mentioned as skrd to replace jack lew. >> it's the -- it's the optics. it doesn't help young women coming up to see these pictures. i think that the white house is always mentioning her az apossibility, and i think that was more just to let people know that they were considering a woman. i think that hagel was the choice the president all along, and that often happens. now, people -- the president and the people are saying, well, there's always women in the second tier jobs, but you don't see those women on tv. you see the secretaries and so, again, it's a problem with optics. >> susan page, you are such ab period of time as the bureau chief of usa today. mountain out of a mole hill, or as jean says, women have different experiences. we're 50% of the population, and being at the table makes a big difference. >> well, to be clear president obama has a pretty good

he wore the uniform. always a challenge to the civilian leadership of the prosecute pentagon. at times of war. there's also a big policy debate in the next two years at the drawdown from afghanistan continues. then the other part of this is what is the big debate that's happening in this town over the next year, and it's going to be the budgets. the pentagon is a big part of this. what better than to have a republican senator be the guy on capitol hill lobbying and dealing with the pentagon, which is inevitable, but it's not an easy thing to do, so why not have a republican make that argument? it's the big picture thinking as far as the president is concerned. i want to talk to miling lighter for a moment. he had been at the cia and some said he wanted to be the first cia director. he was opposed by a lot of -- on the left when those that were against policies that he had after 9/11 and under the bush white house, including enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. >> why is he the right fit for cia? >> i think is he the right fit that he knows the building

. >> ashleigh, if you down size the pentagon politically, and that's what the president is going to do, it's not a bad idea the republicans think to have the republican at the helm because they're called soft on defense, et cetera, et cetera. when you're down sizing, have a republican lead the way. >> it makes for easier politics in some respects. let's switch to mr. brennan. this is another interesting choice and a lot of people have a lot of good things to say about john brenna. however, gler yeah, the n nomination process is problematic. the cv sounds terrific. when's the problem? >> i actually think that brennan will have a much easier time than chuck hagel. i think there are questions about how he felt about enhanced interrogation techniques as we call them, otherwise known as torture, during the bush administration. >> he didn't particularly dislike them, right? >> well no. he has come out and said he opposed them but there's also a question of using drones too much. there are a lot of democrats who believe that we've -- we're using drones too much so these questions are going to be

to barbara for a moment, barbara starr, our pentagon correspondent. what kind of feedback are you getting from folks over at the pentagon, barbara? >> reporter: well, at the pentagon, wolf, they know one of the major issues that chuck hagel is walking into when he comes there will be the budget, how to cut defense spending. and, you know, this is not -- this is a pentagon political issue inside the corridors of the pentagon. it requires managed expertise. does the secretary of defense really understand where the various political levers are in the pentagon that he needs to work on? where the influence is? how a budget is formed? who has the power? inside the military, in this very complex process and can he impact it? when you hire a secretary of defense, to some large extent you are hiring someone for that management expertise. the pentagon is one of the largest organizations in the world, and you need somebody who knows how to run it. that's what a secretary of defense does. the other big issue that he's walking into that people will be watching very closely, how he will advise on commi

with outgoing defense secretary leon panetta showed something about his intention to remake the pentagon. almost over the opposition of republican critics. >> the time has come for me to return to my wife silvia, our three sons, their families, our six grandchildren and my walnut farm. dealing with a different set of nuts. >> the confirmation fights ahead will be driven not just by criticism of hagel and brennan's record, but foreign policy approach. that's what's going on here. in the first term, the president showed he was going to give the washington establishment more deference with his foreign policy pick. he picked hillary clinton as secretary of state and jim jones was his additional national security adviser. none of that deference this time in a selection of hagel, of a kerry, of brennan. president's message is, i got this. it is clear this is a president who wants to leave an imprint on foreign policy. not just about the white house running it, but leaving an imprint everywhere else. he wants his guys to do it. he may not say it the same way bush said it after his re-election to a seco

is james clapper, a former three-star military man from the pentagon. under him are 16 intelligence agencies and the cia is one of those before that, the director of central intelligence had nominally have the coordination role. now, the cia is one of 16 but it is our primary spy agency. its role under the reorganization has become even more crucial. if you have seen "zero dark thirty," it shows the central the cia played in identifying the career and once we identified him, we found the house in about a block and then we found osama bin laden. host: senator john mccain said he wants to take a closer look at the interrogation policies of the bush administration and john brennan's involvement in that. guest: i applaud with john mccain said about interrogation. he has been saying for ever that torture does not work and he should know. he was in the hanoi hilton for so long and tortured by north vietnam during the war. he is right, in my view. i did serve on the intelligence committee for eight years. i was there in the 1990's and came back and was a ranking member. i think we should l

is regarding the pentagon. little, if any. i think it's an incredibly controversial choice. and it looks like the second term of barack obama is going to be an in-your-face term. >> want to bring in our white house correspondent brianna keilar. we no that the white house has been calling out, trying to reach senators and get some support for hagel here. we're also hearing from jim acosta, trying to push back on this idea that he's anti-israel, that comments on the jewish lobby were poorly worded and he has apologized. are they confident they'll be able to push that nomination through and get a confirmation? >> reporter: talking to sources here, they feel pretty good about it. as you know, there are even democratic senators that have concerns. talking with sources at the white house, there is a sense that a number of things that chuck hagel will have to answer for in a confirmation process but there is a feeling here that he has good answers to the questions he will be asked and he may be able to win over some people. as you know, for instance, the comments where he said jewish lobby, when he

a bloated pentagon was two years ago. since then both parties have agreed that the budget needs to be scaled back. and $487 billion has been cut over the following ten years. now the debate is how much more we should cut. my own view is we can cut a little bit more but not as much as sequestration would require. so again the confirmation hearings are going to be excellent opportunities to get into these matters. i don't know what senator hagel things about how much more deeply we can cut, he should be asked. but the pentagon was bigger than it needed to be in 2011 and that's commonly accepted idea at this point. >> jennifer: that's interesting. so that might be a bit of a red herring or at least an unimportant factor but the obama administration is reaching out to jewish groups to get his nomination. do you think statements related to israel are going to pose a problem for him? >> i don't know. i think it will cause some problems yes. it will probably lose him some votes, but i have been under the spotlight a lot less in my life than you have or senator hage

, is this budget battle. not necessarily here in the pentagon because, again, when the orders come down to cut this, cut that, cut this, the u.s. military has to oblige. they have to get it done. the biggest problem and this is where perhaps chuck hagel, you know, in terms of the kind of difficulties he's having now on capitol hill, may run in to some difficulty, is convincing members of congress up there on capitol hill who, in fact, take on their pet pork barrel projects, even though the pentagon has said we don't want those programs. we don't want those airplanes. congress, instead, votes -- goes ahead and votes for it because it means money and votes back home for many members of congress. so i think that ultimately will be the biggest challenge for secretary of defense chuck hagel if, in fact, he is confirmed, tamron. >> you took issue with what first read pointed out, which is the politics which is what i was starting out the conversation with you regarding, the politics of this, when you have general mcchrystal and we'll play him later today on the "today" show this morning talking about a d

and the policies and decision-making that formally had been with the pentagon. and it has been a cia mission, as you know, in large parts of pakistan and yemen and other places. so seeing how john brennan now in his new perch, if he is confirmed, and he was a career, 25-year career person at the cia and today they are welcoming him home if he gets confirmed, it's going to be very interesting to see how he decides to rebalance that, and whether he does move it back to the pentagon. >> so much attention on the hagel side of this has been paid to the relative handful of republican senators who have been complaining about chuck hagel and the conservative media figures who have been complaining. this one of the things where we're getting a squeaky wheel getting a lot of the attention? my thoughts about chuck hagel is he a consummate beltway choice. even if he does have his loud republican critics. what is your sense of the magnitude of the opposition to him? >> well, it's always very hard to predict when the opposition is going to achieve critical mass. he has extraordinarily deep roots, as you p

are supportive of israel. i don't know what his management experience is regarding the pentagon, little, if any. so i think it's an incredibly controversial choice, and it looks like the second term of barack obama is going to be an in your face term. >> reporter: and we should also note that mitch mcconnell, the senate minority leader, the top republican here in the senate, made some softer comments on the other sunday talk shows. he was saying that chuck hagel will get some thorough vetting, will get tough kwequestions, bue was not talking about it in the same stark terms as senator graham. president obama is making this nomination with congress out of town, so there's also time for this nomination to melt away. we'll have to see. >>> i want to take a closer look now at the anti-israel claims against hagel through the eyes of a seasoned diplomat. nicholas burns is a former undersecretary of state. he joins us by phone. good morning, mr. ambassador. >> good morning. >> before we speak, i want to tell people exactly what hagel said that -- those comments that are haunting him today. in one stat

would suggest we have gone too far. >> while we typically talk about the pentagon as -- and it's relationship to private industry is going out and buying goods. we have had this discussion here whether it should by ground combat vehicles or keep that on base. the reality is that we are moving to where the pentagon spends more on buying services rather than buying goods. it is not paying people to go make things. it is making in terms of the hours they are billing. the answer to what extent is it we have not seen the kind of savings that have been promised in the study before 1hand. the savings have been political cost savings where you keep your deployed numbers down even though the overall number of people are roughly the same. what is appropriate for contractors? navy some roles that are appropriate to turn over to contractors and others are not we have been willy-nilly about. once you figure it out, then developing good management structure so you get the best price. you have competition. you can say, they have done a terrible job. it comes back to how the contracts have bee

to run the pentagon. calling him a leader our troops deserve. hagel's critics call him profoundly wrong on national security. also, we have new details about a horrifying night in colorado. a police officer cries as he describes a theater floor slippery with blood. >>> plus, a first look at proposed regulations that have would-be gun owners racing right now to buy guns. >>> i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> we begin with president obama setting the stage for a new fight here in washington. this time, other the national security team for his second term. the president's nominating the former senator chuck hagel, a republican, for defense secretary, and his counterterrorism adviser john brennan to direct the cia. at least one critic calls the hagel nomination an "in your face" pick. let's bring in our white house correspondent brianna keilar. she's working the story for us. the president was effusive in his praise for hagel. >> president obama said hagel, a republican, quote, represents a bipartisan tradition that we need more of i

best for our country and those i represent at the pentagon and for all of our citizens. i will always give you my honest and most informed counsel. thank you very much. >> thank you for your very kind remarks and the trust you placed in me when asked me to be acting director twice. i have the honor of knowing and working with john brennan for the last 20 years. we have worked particularly closely the last three years. john brennan is an intelligence professional with deep experience in our business. and public servants with extraordinary dedication. a man of deep integrity. with senate confirmation i know he will be in all standing director of the central intelligence agency. john started his career at the cia and spent nearly a quarter century. this is a homecoming. on behalf of the talented and dedicated men and women of cia, it is my deep honor to say "welcome home." >> mr. president, it is a tremendous honor to be nominated to be the director of the central intelligence agency. the women and men of the cia are among the most dedicated, courageous, selfless, and hard working indivi

. the current one is james clapper and he is a military man from the pentagon. under him, there were others. there were also others that had intelligence roles. but now it is our primary agency and it will become even more crucial if you have seen zero dark 30, even though i think a few aspects aren't accurate. it shows the roles that were played in identifying the courier and there are critics. >> yes. >> senator john mccain is one. he says that he wants to take a closer look at the interrogations policies under the bush administration. including john brennan's involvement in them. >> guest: i applaud him. he has been saying forever for so long as to why this is important. and he is right, in my view. i think we should look at interrogation policies and drone policies and john brennan before this nomination. he asked to talk about the legal framework around the policy. drones are tool and a lot of our foreign policy needs to be defense. and one of the things i hope you will do is take a fresh look at the paramilitary part of the mission that should be with the pentagon, which has an except

, for those are represented at the pentagon, and for all our citizens. >> if confirmed as director, i will make my mission to ensure the cia has the tools it needs to keep our nation safe and that its work always reflects the liberties, the freedoms, and the values that we hold so dear. >> senator hagel has faced criticism from rightwing foes over his positions on israel and dealing with iran, as well as from progressive critics for making day -- denigrating comments in 1998 about gays in government, for which only recently apologized. some democrats have joined republicans in opposing him over his refusal to back unconditional support for israeli government policies. on monday, the ranking democrat at the house foreign affairs committee, eliot engel of new york, said he believes chuck hagel has a tictac endemic hostility toward israel." brennan was a rumored pick for the job when obama was first elected in 2008, but was forced to withdraw from consideration amidst protests over his role at the cia under the bush administration. brennan has publicly supported the cia's policies of so-

and selflessness. i'll always do my best. i doll my best for our country for those i represent at the pentagon and for all our citizens. and, mr. president, i'll always give you my honest and most informed counsel. >>> so with the main controversy swirling around hagel and his record on issues like iran and israel, he chose unusually to defend himself in an interview with his hometown newspaper the lincoln star journal. he told the paper "the distortions about my record have been astounding." he added, "there's not one shred of evidence that i'm anti-israel." >> john brennan spent 25 years in the cia before he became the president's chief counter-terrorism adviser working inside the white house. the president considered brennan for the same job after he first got elected in 2008. brennan withdrew his name from consideration after he got associated with the enhanced interrogation techniques that had been used during the bush administration. charges brennan denied. over the past several years, brennan has been instrumental in expanding the administration's use of drone strikes fwens terror targe

that will face the president. picks to run the pentagon and the cia. that's if they make it through the senate gauntlet. >>> this morning we'll meet one of the faces of the gop. freshman congressman tom cotton of arkansas. got a big crowd of conservatives. grinning from ear to ear already about his future in his party. >>> and richard nixon would have turned 100 years old today if he were still alive. find out how his legacy is still trying to get shaped by his supporters and why he might be the most consequential american politician in the last half century. good morning from washington. it's wednesday, january 9th, 2013. this is the daily rundown. i'm chuck todd. right to my first reads of the morning. the end of the month deadline provides president biden's task force on gun violence to present its proposals is quickly approaching. today biden, cabinet members and senior staff kick off a series of meetings with what the white house describes as stake holders in this debate aimed at trying to produce a consensus or proposals to curb gun violence. today biden meets with victims groups and gun

, but the blowback on the ground is something that -- can be furious and last friday i was at the pentagon talking to the joint chiefs legal advisor who we talked about this at length. one of the things that they try to do as they analyze and propose strike, what's the blowback going to be. >> on the ground. >> on the ground. you can hit a guy in the house, but if all the neighbors -- if that causes them to go join the taliban, you know, you have taken a big step backwards. he was trying to persuade me that they pay attention to that when they're looking at a proposed strike, but the problem is how can do you that from washington? very, very difficult. the evidence so far is in yemen, for example, enormous blowback. you know, the analysis that i've seen is that we've caused more harm than good there. >> ben, i wonder, the other -- there is blowback regionally, but there has been such a lack of discussion here, and i remember the "new york times" kill list story that raised hackles in the administration. mr. obama is the liberal law professor who campaigned against the iraq war and torture and then

. >>> reporter: president obama announced his picks for the next heads of the pentagon and the cia. now they need congressional approval before they can get to work. >> we need to get moving quickly on this. >> reporter: senator chuck hagel is the nominee for secretary of defense. a former enlisted man and vietnam vet, the president says hagel can relate personally to america's troops. >> to this day, chuck bears the scars and the shrapnel from battles he fought in our name. >> reporter: but winning confirmation won't be easy. some of hagel's former senate colleagues call him hostile toward israel and soft on iran. >> i'm waiting for an explanation. i want him to make the case as to why he should be the secretary of defense. >> reporter: confirmation hearings here on capitol hill are expected to be easier for another nominee, john brennan, the president's pick to head the cia. still, looking at his 25 years at the spy agency, some object to the brennan pick. >> if you tuned in here, obama, listen to what i'm about to say. >> reporter: a small group

country and those i represent at the pentagon and for all of my citizens. i will always give you my honest and most informed counsel. >> he served in vietnam twice wounded and twice decorated. he had friends who got their heads blown off. he criticized the handling of the iraq war calling it -- >> the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since vietnam. >> the tv campaign against him started when his nomination was just a rumor. >> chuck hagel is not a responsible option. >> opponents claim he is anti- israeli, even anti-semitic. he once opposed the appointment of an ambassador, criticized -- criticizing him for being openly, aggressively gay. >> good morning. how are you? >> he says critics have distorted his cues. -- his views. >> i like chuck hagel. he is out of the mainstream of thinking on most issues regarding foreign policy. >> he has lined up another conflict with congress. >> for more on today's announcement, i will speak with the chief washington correspondent for the new york times. he is the author of confront and conceal. thank you for coming in. what is it abo

the pentagon, this apparent pick despite many indications that the g.o.p. maverick would face a rocky confirmation hearing. the former two term senator from nebraska has a history of blunt statements including a reference to the jewish lobby as intimidating force on capitol hill that will likely draw fresh, and openly pai ambassador as quote, aggressively gay and hormel says that the apology was sent to the news media and not to him. and hagel has at times resisted imposition of sanctions against iran for the ren grade nuclear program and balked sometimes efforts to designate hezbollah a terrorist group. >> i do have serious concerns about his position that he's stated on israel, and some of the statements he's made in the past, as well as his positions on iran and i think that those are issues that have been addressed if he is nominated and comes before the senate armed services committee. i plan to vigorously question him on prior statements and those positions in particular. >> supporters say hagel's infantry service in vietnam where he was awarded two purple hearts, among other de

. obama may appoint mr. hagel to take a place at the pentagon. as almost score setting matter i almost hope he does. it would confirm a point i made earlier this column earlier this year, that mr. obama is not a friend of israel. >> you could hardly think of another leading contender for that position who would be, who would raise more eyebrows than chuck hagel when it comes to israel. you heard earlier jennifer griffin quoting the line about the jewish lobby, which is interesting because millions of americans who are christians and not jewish are also supporters of israel. there is the conflation between the jewish lobby and israel lobby which is very disturbing. there is broader record especially concerning iran would make anyone concerned for the security of is rainfall and the relationship between israel and the united states worried about his position as secretary of defense. jon: but this is a guy who served two terms in the senate. >> right. jon: he is a decorated vietnam veteran, a purple heart recipient. >> two purple hearts. jon: two purple hearts. why not put him in at the t

, will stay behind is up in the air. >>> meanwhile, secretary panetta wants the pentagon to prepare for cut backs. he has launched steps to free civilian hiring, delay contract awards and curtail some maintenance. he's also asked department officials to begin planning for unpaid furloughs. his plan supposedly minimizes the impact on military readiness. if congress can't reach a deal by march, the pentagon's budget will be slashed by more than $100 million. >>> police need your help finding this man, but anyone who comes in contact with him needs to use caution. he escaped from the hospital in montgomery county last night. he's paranoid, suicidal and has a history of violence they say. >>> in the meantime, ex-marine will be back in court today to learn his punishment. he pleaded guilty to the shootings last year. under the deal he agreed to, he faces 25 years in prison. but government doctors recently diagnosed the 25-year-old with schizophrenia. his new lawyers say a judge needs to review the plea and the sentence. >>> if the d.c. council has its way, the presidential limo will look differe

to do, wind down the war in afghanistan, cut the pentagon budget in a way that protects our security, deal with iran, deal with the middle east. he's going to have a big job to do. he's an impressive guy, as mika said, he's got tons of support, as andrea said, but he does have detractors who he's going to have to win over even if they don't vote for him. >> he has sharp elbows. when i was on the hill, i didn't like the guy. i didn't. a lot of people didn't like the guy. i understand why john mccain wouldn't like a republican senator that endorsed a democrat. i understand. he doesn't play well with others in the sandbox. he certainly didn't when he was in the senate. i got to know him, though, through the years, and we got to know him. we like him. we respect him. he said some things about israel that caused me concerns. >> yeah. >> but he's going to be the president's secretary of defense. and i just wonder, what's better for democrats politically? if barack obama gets his republican secretary of defense or if republicans who, after deep sixing an african-american woman for secretary

and that is to continue panetta's effort to streamline the pentagon and make budget cuts. those who are in favor of a strong defense are against that and therefore against hagel's perception more cuts are necessary and finally there is a great deal of concern about hagel's statement that unilateral american action in trying to restrict what iran can do economically and with its money, hagel doesn't think that's a good thing to do and lots of people on both sides of the aisle in the senate who disagree with hagel about that and hearing about that in the hearings. >> it's interesting, colonel, that, again, going back to his war record and when you look at our nation as the president pointed out, could have a leader as secretary of defense who has been in that situation. he knows what it is like to have young men and women in the mud and the ground and like to see people, you go in to war with and you come out without them. you know this, as well. give us some perspectives and the importance of having an individual like this, whether it's chuck hagel or maybe in the future someone else who's been t

a time of transition at the pentagon. he would oversee the withdrawal of troops from afghanistan and implement some of the deepest cuts in defense spending in years. >> i think chuck will bring some interesting and creative thoughts to a defense establishment which tends to be rather structured. >> reporter: president obama also nominated his counterterrorism adviser, john brennan, to serve as cia director. john brennan was considered for cia director back in 2008 but he withdrew his name when questions came up about whether he had supported controversial interrogation techniques under the bush administration. in washington, i'm danielle leigh, nbc news. >>> more news from capitol hill, despite objections by the u.s. state department, google's executive chairman eric shah submit in north korea this morning. schmidt is part of a four-day humanitarian trip to the region organized by former new mexico governor, bill richardson. the group left beijing this morning. richardson says they plan to ask about korean-american kenneth bay detained by north korea in december. >> i have spoken

, for those that i represent at the pentagon and for all of our citizens. mr. president i will always give you my honest and most informed council. >> mr. president, thank you for your very kind remarks. thank you for the trust that you placed in me. i have had the honor of aning and working with john brennan for the last 20 years. john is an intelligence professional with deep experience in our business, a public servant with extraordinary dedication. and a man of deep integrity. the senate confirmation, i know that he will be an outstanding director of the central intelligence agency. as the president noted john started his career at c.i.a. and spent nearly a quarter of a century. this is a homecoming for john. john, on behalf of the talented and dedicated men and women of c.i.a. it is my deep honor to say welcome home. >> it is a tremendous honor to be nominated to be the director of the central intelligence agency. the women and men of the c.i.a. are among the most dedicated, courage us, selfless and hard working individuals that have ever served this country at great personal risk and sac

for the next heads of the pentagon and the cia. now they need congressional approval before they can get to work. >> we need to get moving quickly on this. >> reporter: senator chuck hagel is nominee for secretary of defense. a former enlisted man and vietnam vet, the president says hagel can relate personallyto america's troops. >> to this day, chuck bears the scars and the shrapnel from battles he fought in our name. >> reporter: but winning confirmation won't be easy. some of hagel's former senate colleagues call him hostile toward israel and soft on iran. >> i'm waiting for an explanation. i want him to make the case as to why he should be the secretary of defense. >> reporter: confirmation hearings here on capitol hill are expected to be easier for another nominee, john brennan, the president's pick to head the cia. still, looking at his 25 years at the spy agency, some object to the brennan pick. >> if you tuned in here, obama -- >> reporter: a small group protested the brennan choice monday saying he's linked to techniques including water boarding during the

. >>> reporter: president obama announced his pick for the next heads of the pentagon and the cia. now they need congressional approval before they can get to work. >> we need to move quickly. >> reporter: senator chuck hagel is the nominee for secretary of defense. a former n listed man and vietnam vet, the president says hagel can relate personally to america's troops. >> to this day chuck bears the scars and the shrapnel from battles he fought in our name. >> reporter: but winning confirmation won't be easy. some of hagel's former senate colleagues call him hostile toward israel and soft on iran. >> i'm waiting for an explanation. i want him to make the case as to why he should be the secretary of defense. >> reporter: confirmation hearings here on capitol hill are expected to be easier for another nominee john brennan the president's cia pick. still looking at his 25 years at the spy agency some object to the brennan pick. >> if you tuned in here, obama, listen to what i'm about to say. >> reporter: a small group protested the choice monday sayi

people from the pentagon and from . >> both shows were done and conceived without cooperation and without any proported . >> endorsement. >> yeah. connection to how they actual run. it was never part of the proposition. i have done attempted some show that have not seen the light of day with actual cooperation of government agencies and this is another other thing. i work forked a long time on the fbi and also with nasa, neither of which probably not unconsequentidently probably not consequentidently never came to fruition. but these shows -- "homeland," i mean, "24" made up its own organization ctu to avoid it. and with oklahomaland it was a -- "homeland" it was a step toward realty. it arudes to the -- alludes to the cia, but did. >> but the -- it's the our relationship with the military was interesting because initially obvious these agencies and want to keep arms lentd and sort of once we -- once they became fans, i think it was that simple. they just enjoyed it and felt this is portraying what we didn't portray a general or soldiers in the case of "24", for instance, the military bec

are supportive of israel. i don't know what his management experience is regarding the pentagon, little if any. i think it's an incredibly controversial choice and it looks like the second term of barack obama is going to be an in your face term. >> foreign affairs correspondent jill dougherty is live from washington this morning. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> opposition to hagel comes from the right and left. can you break down the issues? >> yeah. i think it has to really start with israel because the people who believe that he is not a supporter of israel, in fact, they would question his devotion to anything that would help israel. he, for instance, believes in talking to hamas. he also has come out against iran sanctions by the united states. and so that gets other people very worried about his position. he opposed the surge in afghanistan. and when you get into that issue, the gay issue, so called, about 14 years ago he made some comments about an ambassadorial nomination who as he put it was openly and aggressively gay. now that's, of course, a buzz saw of criticism. so it's not

there are things in the pentagon you probably could deal with. i'm somebody who is a reaganite, i believe defense spending equates to capability. i don't want to shirk on weapon's capability or shirk on compensation for people putting their life on the line, but i have embraced what senator coburn wants to do, audit the pentagon. u.s. a very big bureaucracy. ask people who served on active duty in iraq, afghanistan, or on the home front. it's a big bureaucracy and a lot of times our military is successful in spite of the bureaucracy, but not because of it. i wouldn't say you can't look at defense, but if you think we'll balance the budget just by cutting defense, one, i don't think you can get there, but, two, we will be inviting danger from abroad, rather than protecting the people if we do that. >> you think we'll have a big fight over entitlements, social security, medicare? that will be coming up with the debt ceiling? part of the debt ceiling negotiations? >> i think we need to restructure some of the entitlements, get in the way that they are sustainable over the long term. whether it's via

of pulling all troops out of afghanistan. now the pentagon is pushing back, saying it could jeopardize any negotiating power with the taliban. >> the position we take in showing that we are going to continue to complete this mission, the better the chances we have to ultimately achieve political reconciliation. >> the pentagon was only the beginning of the afghan president's visit to washington. >> our meeting, i believe, helped -- will help lay the ground work for president karzai's discussions tomorrow with president obama. >> sources say president karzai and his defense minister brought a wish list to the pentagon, drones, helicopters, and hardware to support their security forces. >> what we talked about yesterday was, you know, let's move beyond a wish list of equipment. >> the u.s. want assurances the terrorists won't set up troops in afghanistan after the troops leave. karzai agreed. >> be able to provide security to these people. >> but a recent pentagon reports that the afghan border patrol relies on the u.s. for even its most basic needs, food and water. it's rife with illiteracy

's. how lives are going to change for men and women of the pentagon and how committed chuck hagel is. so she wants to know even though some of the gay activists and some of the interest groups human rights campaign have said that they accept his apology for what he said 14 years ago. >> well, so andrea, i would say that, first of all, i agree with chuck, and i think that what matters here is that the confirmation hearing, i think, may actually matter for chuck hagel. both in terms of the point chuck made, which is that if there is something sort of that we don't know that comes out, this is not a nominee who can probably with stand something like that. i think it's important that chuck schumer, tammy baldwin, normally if nominees fail, whether it's for supreme court or cabinet decisions, they fail in terms of confirmation because the sort of old party of the president pulls back. with harriet myers it was the uprising amongst conservatives that really doomed her. it seems to me john cornyn is not going to be for chuck hagel or john mccain. i doubt they're going to be for chuck hagel, but

regarding pentagon. i think it is a controversial choice. a >> speaking to meet the press last month, president obama defended senator hagel's record. >> i know chuck hagel. he is a patriot. he is someone who has done extraordinary work in the united states senate. he served this country with valor in vietnam. he is someone who is currently serving on my intelligence advisory board and doing an outstanding job. >> to talk more about the nomination of chuck hagel as secretary of defense, we are joined now by ali gharib writes a middle east blog on the daily beast website. welcome to "democracy now!" talk about the controversy around hagel's in in today by president obama or nominated. >> they floated -- the administration floated his name last month and there's been a firestorm of criticism since then that is come mostly from right-wing republicans, but also a little from pro-israel democratics that is based around his views on israel, iran, some comments he made about a decade ago about a gay nominee to the ambassador the last to be ambassador, and just general right wing republican

says senators should ask about future plans for the pentagon. >> there's a tendency to look backwards. it's much more important for them to be looking forward. >> outside the white house, the antiwar group protested the cia nomination questioning his ties to enhanced interrogation techniques used during the bush administration. the president needs the senate's approval for both picks. the president says he hopes the senate acts promptly on his nominations. at the white house, danielle, cbs 5. >>> secretary of state hillary clinton is back at work after a hospital stay and a few weeks at home. today clinton returned to the state department and to this gag gift from coworkers. in the box, a football helmet with the state department seal and padding her head. she was treated for a concussion after a fall. >>> we'll arguments for and against prop 8 to be held on march 26th. the ballot measure eliminated marriage rights for same sex partners in california. the court will decide if it will litigate the case and if the law violates the 14th am

, not strongly enough, but sees the need to do that. the pentagon is running 322 golf courses around this world on taxpayer dime. there's some bloat in there that doesn't get as much attention as social security and medicare. >> it does represent a threat to the direction of foreign policy. that's really what is behind this op zegs. >> i will end this segment, unfortunately. we have to end it here, but i will say this. i think you look at that tape of chuck hagel speaking in 2002 talking about his experience in vietnam. the president's words about being in the blood and the mud war are so important and to have someone who has seen combat and seen it in that way and still has shrapnel in his chest making decisions about what's going to happen to the men and women overseas should not be lost on the american puck. after the break congress has a few options for avoiding the next fiscal crisis. president obama can use an unconventional option to neutralize the fight. trillion dollar coins. >> we should have known a coin was obama's solution to everything. it was right there in his slogan. change. >>

in the pentagon? >> well, a quick answer is i don't know. i think when you look at that d.o.d.colossus, 2.4 million men and women in the department of defense. it's a giant operation. on the other hand, larry, it's 4.7% of gnp. that's the lowest percentage of national treasure in any of our so-called country's wars. so i tell folks, you run an operation in iraq that was running $12 billion a month. afghanistan was $10 billion a month. we burneded up a lot of resources fight twog wars over the last decade. >> all right so just on that thought get some views from the panelists. we're running those wars down. will they stay down, general mccaffrey? i know some saving is already built in. but down the road in terms of support personnel, in terms of investment in various weaponry and approaches and so forth, maybe that's the place for the savings right there on top of the savings in europe. >> oh, i think there's no question that as we turn off this war in afghanistan i think we're going to largely leave. i'd be astonished if we have any significant footprint there much beyond 2014. so that's

. the famous by release them to the public, to the press. is it true the pentagon papers talk about vietnam as a time when the viet cong is sitting territory? so perhaps by the 54 election this would have been a major issue for kennedy and he would have had to come again. >> counterfactual. >> but we think that kennedy had a certain kind of self-confidence. kennedy said at one point that if somebody comes in and argues to me about unemployment, i can refute him. they have no problem. an intelligence community, the military comes in. you're always used to assume that they have a special knowledge that i did have because they have learned something different. at a later point he says, i'm going to tell my successor that the most important thing he has to know is not to trust the military, not to trust the joint chiefs. kennedy stood up to those people . >> 2009 obama had the confer result with the generals pressing him on afghanistan, the serbs there. >> into this, but i want to hear you talk about it. as american foreign policy in a grand sense changed and all? it has been over for more than

at the pentagon and for all of our citizens. i will always give you my honest and most informed counsel. thank you very much. bid>> thank you for your very kd remarks and the trust you placed in me when asked me to be acting director twice. i have the honor of knowing and working with john brennan for the last 20 years. we have worked particularly closely the last three years. john brennan is an intelligence professional with deep experience in our business. and public servants with extraordinary dedication. a man of deep integrity. with senate confirmation i know he will be in all standing director of the central intelligence agency. john started his career at the cia and spent nearly a quarter century. this is a homecoming. on behalf of the talented and dedicated men and women of cia, it is my deep honor to say "welcome home." >> mr. president, it is a tremendous honor to be nominated to be the director of the central intelligence agency. the women and men of the cia are among the most dedicated, courageous, selfless, and hard working individuals. at great personal risk and sacrifice they have m

are supportive of israel. i don't know what his management experience is regarding the pentagon. little, if any. so i think it's an incredibly controversial choice and it looks like the second term of barack obama will be an in-your-face term. >> so what are some of the issues? start with israel. as you heard, a number of his opponents, especially on the republican or conservative side think chuck hagel is not a friend of israel and point to his position on iran sanctions. they say because of his position that iran sanctions essentially aren't effective, that that is another point against him. also, from the liberal side, comments about a dozen, maybe 14 years ago, that chuck hagel made about a candidate for an ambassadorial position, where he called him openly and aggressively gay. now, chuck hagel has since apologized for that, but that also raises some haggles among some people on the more liberal side. not going to be a friendly reception up in the senate, however, the white house obviously thinks they can pull it off. >> an interesting confirmation hearing, that's for sure. >> let's talk a

a spending problem. we need to do something about spending. let's not target only the pentagon and hospitals and doctors, which is what the sequester targets, but let's make smarter spending cuts to affect everybody from all walks of life, including corporate world and therefore we can do something to give our children a better future with less debt on their shoulders. that's the smarter card for the republicans to play. >> let me switch to you, james, on the chuck hagel nomination to be the next defense secretary. there's been some quiet murmuring, some complaining among democrats, not unusual, i should say. you've heard it as well. why can't a democratic president ask a democrat to be defense secretary? they go back to the clinton administration when president clinton invited william cohen, a republican to be defense secretary. then the obama administration, president obama asked robert gates, a republican to be defense secretary. then there was leon panetta. and now another republican, chuck hagel. what's wrong with democrats being defense secretary? >> right. actually, just as an histori

seats have to be filled by president obama at the pentagon and cia. he announced his picks. former senator from nebraska, chuck hagel as defense secretary and long-time counterterrorism adviser john brennan as director of the cia. >> these two leaders have dedicated their lives to protecting our country. i'm confident they will do an outstanding job. >> reporter: hagel, a successful businessman who made millions in the cell phone industry before politics is a decorated vietnam vet and he would make history if confirmed by congress. >> he would be the first person of enlisted rank to serve as secretary of defense. one of the few secretaries who have been wounded in war. and the first vietnam veteran to lead the department. >> i will always do my best for our country, for those i represent at the pentagon, and for all our citizens. >> reporter: but fellow republicans are not falling in line behind this pick. he's been criticized for his outspoken disapproval on the troop surge in iraq and for calling u.s. supporters of israel the jewish lobby. >> this is an in your face nomination by

had received three separate briefings from the pentagon, saying that they were counting on getting rid of the really bad leaders of the iraqi army and filling it back up with trusted individuals because the structure was still there rather than build an entire new army. the cia felt that was terrific ago. i did, my stuffed it in the president was briefed that this was what were going to do. so suddenly between the pentagon come it's not clear where it all originated. gave jerry bremmer of the necessary guidance and instructions to disband the army if that's what he thought was ray. jerry issued the order, disbanding the army. i did know was going to happen. the joint chiefs of staff did not. cia did i and suddenly the army is totally disbanded and you have hundreds of thousands of people who are armed and trained and who were set free within a few airliner pensions and we had to pay some of them in order to keep peace. when we started to rebuild an iraqi army, i think it was a bad decision. she would tell you it's the right decision, but i think it was the wrong decision must import th

'donnell. le >>> a battle is brewing with and n president obama's pick to head the pentagon. critics at critics promised a tough n proc confirmation process for former huck hagel senator chuck hagel. >> there are also questions o about the president's nomination his to run the cia, antiterrorism bi chief, john brennan. bill plante is at the white house. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the president's choice of chuck hagel for pentagon and john brennan for cia means a the whit confirmation battle. the white house went into this knowing that. w so there's a campaign to win thek that battle. is not some senators think hagel is not others that tough nouf on iran others that l. he's not committed to israel. brennan is under scrutiny by those who want to know if he was involved in harsh interrogation w programs when he was at the administ white house during the george them on bush administration. the president defended his hagel' nominees as he announced them. our >> chuck hagel's leadership of the our military would be historic. he would be the first person of ser

on my show, colonel ellen herring, one of two women suing the pentagon for discrimination saying all the jobs should be open to everyone, men, women, the standards shouldn't be lowered, it should be one single standard. how can you help make that happen? >> well first of all, april makes ten years for me serving in the army national guard. we have women who have been serving in combat roles for a long time whether it has been under a combat title or not. if we look back to the civil war, we had women who were disguising themselves as men, so they could serve. we have in hawaii two brigades who have females who are serving in infantry units, and i think there is so much room for progress and we just need to make the connection from reality of the roles that women are already playing in our military and perception, where people don't have as close an understanding of the great contributions and sacrifices that women have been making for our country for a very long time. >> okay. >> that's what i'm excited about. i'm able to bring my own firsthand experience, my own deployments to the f

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